You Are The Driver
•You are part of a system•Your Driving Task•Your Driving Responsibilities•Your Driver’s License
The Highway Transportation System
• Drivers• Passengers• Users
People
• Cars• Buses• Trucks• SMV’s
Vehicles • Highways• City Streets• Rural Roads
Roadways
The Purpose of the HTS
The purpose of the HTS is to move people and cargo from point A to point B safely and efficiently.
Regulating The HTS
Laws are passed to make up the vehicle code.
Enforcement agencies assure that laws are obeyed.
Motor vehicle departments set rules to assure that driver and vehicle standards are met.
Courts decide whether drivers charged with violating the laws are guilty or innocent.
Highway traffic engineers plan, build, and maintain roadways.
Laws
National Highway Safety Act› Created guidelines for motor vehicle safety
programs. Vehicle registration Driver licensing Traffic courts Highway construction and maintenance
National Highway Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety act› Auto makers install certain safety features into
each car. Safety Belts
Driving Task
Physical Skills
Social Skills
Mental Skills
Mental Skills: task that involves decision making
Social Skills: interact successfully with people, obey traffic laws, and make an effort to work with people.
Physical Skills: Physical skills of driving
Reducing Conflicts by Being Defensive
IPDE Process: process of seeing, thinking, and responding.› IDENTIFY
Important info.› PREDICT
When and where possible points of conflict will occur.
› DECIDE When, where, and how to avoid conflict
› EXECUTE The right actions to avoid conflict
What Can You Identify?
Other systems that will help you use the IPDE system
Smith System: Organized method designed to help drivers develop good seeing habits.
Zone Control System: Method for managing the space around your vehicle.
Commentary Driving: The process of “thinking out loud” Saying out loud the IPDE process.
Your Driving Responsibility
Right vs Privelage…. Collision vs Accident Top 3 reasons for Collision for
teenagers› Immaturity› Inexperience› Distratctions
Attitude
Legal Responsibilities
Laws› Obey all traffic laws
Collisions› By law, any driver involved in a collision
must stop
Financial Responsibilities
Operating Costs› Costs for fuel, oil, and tires
Fixed Costs› Purchase price of car, licensing fees, and
insurance Crash Costs
› Responsible for paying for any injuries, and property damage caused.
Environmental Responsibilities
All drivers have a responsibility to help manage the environmental threats.› Buy and maintain fuel efficient vehicles› Use fuel efficient driving habits› Use car pools› Recycle used materials› Work for strong policies
Responsibilities to Yourself and Others
Making rational decisions Common courtesy Control anger and frustration Say “no” to negative peer pressure
Risk
According to the CDC drivers age 16-19 have a higher risk of MVC…. 4x higher.› Males
In 2006, the motor vehicle death rate for male drivers and passengers ages 15 to 19 was almost two times that of their female counterparts.
› Teens The presence of teen passengers increases the crash risk of
unsupervised teen drivers. This risk increases with the number of teen passengers.
› New Drivers Crash risk is particularly high during the first year that
teenagers are eligible to drive.
Common Reasons for Collisions
Following another vehicle too closely. Driving too fast for conditions. Not wearing safety belts. Driving after drinking or using drugs. Driving while very tired.
What do they all have in common?
Factors that put teen drivers at risk
Teens are more likely than older drivers to underestimate dangerous situations or not be able to recognize hazardous situations.
Among male drivers between 15 and 20 years of age who were involved in fatal crashes in 2005, 37% were speeding at the time of the crash and 26% had been drinking.
In 2008, nearly three out of every four teen drivers killed in motor vehicle crashes after drinking and driving were not wearing a seat belt.
In 2008, half of teen deaths from motor vehicle crashes occurred between 3 p.m. and midnight and 56% occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
Graduated Driver Licensing
Requires young drivers to progress through a series of licensing stages.
LP Stage:› Drives when supervised by an adult› Permit must be held for a minimum of 9
months.› 50 hours of practiced driving @ home, 10
hours must be at night.
GDLP
Intermediate License Stage› Complete LP stage and approved DE
course› Night driving restricted› Passenger restriction› Collision-free and violation free› Penalties for violations are increased
GDLP
Full privilege LS› Successfully complete the intermediate LS
with no violations and no collisions
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